IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 Prelims, Mains, section timing, marks and negative marking
The IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 has two online stages. The Preliminary Examination contains 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes, while the Main Examination contains 160 questions for 200 marks in 125 minutes. Every section is separately timed.
Preliminary Examination
English Language, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability carry separate 20-minute timings. Candidates must qualify in each test to be shortlisted for Main.
Main Examination
General/Financial Awareness, General English, Reasoning Ability and Quantitative Aptitude are separately timed. Main marks determine final merit listing.
IBPS Clerk Prelims Exam Pattern 2026
The IBPS Clerk Preliminary Examination contains 100 questions for 100 marks and must be completed in 60 minutes. Each of the three tests has a separate 20-minute time limit.
| Test | Medium | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | English | 30 | 30 | 20 Minutes |
| Numerical Ability | State/UT option* | 35 | 35 | 20 Minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | State/UT option* | 35 | 35 | 20 Minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 Minutes | |
*The available test languages for Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability depend on the State or Union Territory selected in the application. English Language is conducted only in English.
Each test is separately timed
Candidates receive 20 minutes for each section. Unused time from one test cannot be transferred to another test.
Qualify in every test
Candidates must secure the cut-off marks decided by IBPS in each of the three Preliminary Examination tests.
Prelims is used for shortlisting
An adequate number of candidates in each category will be shortlisted for the Online Main Examination based on IBPS requirements.
IBPS Clerk Prelims Negative Marking
For every incorrect answer, one-fourth or 0.25 of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted. No penalty applies when a question is left unanswered.
The Preliminary Examination is the shortlisting stage. Only marks obtained in the Online Main Examination are considered for final merit listing.
Prepare for accuracy within separate section timers
Because every test closes after 20 minutes, candidates should practise English, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability as separately timed sections instead of relying only on full-length mock-test timing.
IBPS Clerk Mains Exam Pattern 2026
The IBPS Clerk Main Examination contains 160 questions for 200 marks and must be completed in 125 minutes. All four tests are separately timed, and the notification lists them as not arranged by sequence.
| Test | Medium | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General / Financial Awareness | State/UT option* | 40 | 50 | 20 Minutes |
| General English | English | 40 | 40 | 35 Minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | State/UT option* | 40 | 60 | 35 Minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | State/UT option* | 40 | 50 | 35 Minutes |
| Total | 160 | 200 | 125 Minutes | |
*The available examination languages for tests marked with an asterisk depend on the State or Union Territory selected in the application. General English is conducted only in English.
Reasoning carries 60 marks
Reasoning Ability contains 40 questions but carries 60 marks, giving it the highest marks allocation among the four Main Examination tests.
General/Financial Awareness gets 20 minutes
Candidates must answer 40 questions for 50 marks within a separately timed 20-minute window.
Every test contains 40 questions
Although each section contains 40 questions, their marks and time allocations differ substantially.
How the Main Examination is evaluated
Candidates must obtain the minimum score decided by IBPS in each test as well as the required minimum total score to be considered for the subsequent provisional-allotment process.
Negative Marking in IBPS Clerk Mains
For each incorrect answer, one-fourth or 0.25 of the marks assigned to that question is deducted. There is no penalty when a question is left unanswered.
Preliminary marks are not added to the final merit list. The total 200 marks of the Main Examination are converted out of 100 for the provisional-allotment process.
Do not prepare all four sections with the same timing strategy
General/Financial Awareness allows only 20 minutes, while the other three tests allow 35 minutes each. Practise with the official section-wise timers because unused time cannot be carried into another section.
IBPS Clerk Negative Marking, Cut-Off and Final Merit
The IBPS Clerk Preliminary and Main examinations both apply negative marking for incorrect answers. However, only the Main Examination score is used for final merit and provisional allotment.
One-fourth of the marks assigned to that question is deducted.
No mark is deducted when the candidate leaves a question unanswered.
Preliminary marks are not added while preparing the final merit list.
The Main Examination score out of 200 is converted to a score out of 100.
How IBPS Clerk negative marking works
For every question answered incorrectly, one-fourth of the marks assigned to that question is deducted. Since different Main Examination sections can carry different marks per question, the exact deduction depends on the marks assigned to the question—not simply one-fourth of a whole mark in every section.
Question worth 1 mark
Question left unanswered
How candidates move from Prelims to final allotment
Each stage has a different purpose. Clearing the Preliminary Examination does not add marks to the final merit score.
Qualify each separately timed test
Candidates must secure the cut-off decided by IBPS in English Language, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability.
Adequate candidates move to Main
IBPS shortlists an adequate number of candidates in each category according to recruitment requirements.
Meet sectional and overall requirements
Candidates must obtain the minimum score prescribed by IBPS in each Main test and achieve the required aggregate score.
Merit-cum-preference determines allotment
The converted Main score, State/UT merit, bank preferences, reservation rules and actual reported vacancies are considered.
Main score is converted from 200 marks to 100
The notification states that the Online Main Examination carries 200 marks. For provisional allotment, this score is converted to a scale of 100.
No fixed cut-off is announced in advance
IBPS decides the qualifying standard based on the examination and recruitment requirements. Do not treat previous-year cut-offs as the official 2026 cut-off.
Sectional and total scores both matter
A high aggregate score does not override a failure to meet a required individual-test score where IBPS applies a sectional qualifying standard.
What happens when two candidates obtain the same score?
In the event of a tie, merit order is decided according to date of birth. The candidate senior in age is placed above the younger candidate.
Candidates must be sufficiently high in State/UT-wise merit. Allotment also depends on bank preference, reservation rules, administrative requirements and the actual vacancies reported by participating banks. The vacancies shown in the notification are indicative.
Connect the exam pattern with your chosen State and application
Review the State-wise vacancies and the complete recruitment lifecycle to understand how examination scores lead to provisional allotment.
IBPS Clerk Exam Pattern 2026 FAQs
Check the most important Preliminary and Main Examination rules before planning your preparation for CRP CSA-XVI.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the IBPS Clerk Prelims exam pattern?
The Preliminary Examination contains 100 questions for 100 marks and lasts 60 minutes. English Language, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability each have a separate 20-minute timer.
What is the IBPS Clerk Mains exam pattern?
The Main Examination contains 160 questions for 200 marks and lasts 125 minutes. It includes General/Financial Awareness, General English, Reasoning Ability and Quantitative Aptitude.
Is there sectional timing in IBPS Clerk 2026?
Yes. Every Preliminary and Main Examination test is separately timed. Unused time from one section cannot be transferred to another section.
What is the negative marking in IBPS Clerk?
For every incorrect answer, one-fourth or 0.25 of the marks assigned to that question is deducted. There is no penalty for a question left unanswered.
Are Preliminary marks counted in final merit?
No. Preliminary marks are used only for shortlisting candidates for the Main Examination. Only Main Examination marks are used for final merit listing.
Is there a sectional cut-off in IBPS Clerk?
Candidates must obtain the minimum score decided by IBPS in each required test. Main Examination consideration also depends on achieving the required overall score.
Which examination determines provisional allotment?
The Online Main Examination determines final merit. Its 200-mark score is converted to a scale of 100 for the provisional-allotment process.
What happens if two candidates obtain the same score?
Where candidates obtain the same score, merit order is decided according to date of birth. The candidate older in age is placed above the younger candidate.
Continue Your IBPS Clerk 2026 Preparation
Move from the exam structure to the eligibility, vacancy and application-preparation guides needed for the current recruitment stage.